June 10, 2018
Maori health professionals on the rise
The University of Otago is celebrating a big jump in the number of Maori and Pacific students entering its health professional programmes.
Between 2010 and 2016, there was a 124 per cent increase in the number of Maori students and 121 per cent increase in Pacific students in health professional programmes, according to a study published in today’s New Zealand Medical Journal.
But health sciences Professor Peter Crampton says despite the increased diversity there has been little change in the overall socioeconomic profile of students, with most coming from socioeconomically advantaged areas and only 3.4 per cent of students attending secondary schools which were below decile 4.
The huge increase in Maori and Pacific student numbers has been driven by increased engagement with those communities and giving those students more support.
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